Improvement in tiles



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CALVIN J. MERRILL, OF UPPER ALTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HENRY E.

MERRILL, OF AKRON, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN TILES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 170,582, dated November 30, 1875 application filed September 9, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CALVIN J. MERRILL, of Upper Alton, Madison county, State of Illinois, have invented an Improvement in Roofing-Tile, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to that class of rootingtile, made in diamond form, having a flange projecting upward along its edge, above the center line of the tile, and a corresponding flange projecting downward below said line, so that, when laid in flanges, each course shall interlock with the flange on the preceding course. These-tile, as commonly made, are pointed at the top and bottom, the angle of these points'being the same. In laying such tile two difliculties are encountered: In the first place, either from a lack of homogeneity in the clay, unequal shrinkage in drying, or uneven heat in burning, the tile are, almost invariably, distorted in a greater or less degree from a true diamond, and hence it is found almost impossible to lay the courses in a true line upward and downward; and again, when the tile are inflexibly locked together the flanges are liable to be broken or torn off by the expansion and contraction from heat and cold, and by the vibration of the roof.

To obviate these difficulties I make the tile of the same length as formerly, but above the central transverse line thereof the sides project upward at a slightly greater angle therewith, 'so that the flanges do not meet in a point at the top, but are separated, giving the tile the appearance of being cut off below the top, with a-continuation of the flange across this top.

My invention will be readily understood by reference to the annexed drawing, wherein Figure 1 represents the face of a tile withthe top at a, the dotted lines 0 c b b indicating theangle commonly used in the upper half of the tile to show the distinctive features of my invention; and Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same at the line a a.

By means of this improvement the over lappin g tile has a free lateral movement sufficient to overcome any ordinary distortion of the tile, and permit the tile to he laid in true courses and avoid the danger to the flanges hereinbefore mentioned, while the flanges still prevent leaking and constitute a tight roof.

I am aware that earthenware tiles of a diamond shape, having an upward edge or fillet around the top, and a downward edge or fillet around the lower part, are not new, the same having been shown in English Patent No. 9,376, of 1842, and this I do not claim; but

What I claim is- An earthenware roofing-tile, the lower half whereof, with reference to a central transverse line, has a flange projecting downward along i its edges, and a corresponding upward flange along the edges of the upper half, the sides of the lower half projecting downward at a certain angle with said central transverse line,

and meeting in a point at the bottom, forming a triangle, and the sides of the upper half project upward at a greater angle with said central line, so that they do not meet at the top, but form a triangle truncated at its summit, for thepurpose described.

CALVIN J. MERRILL.

-Witnesses:

W. LEVERETT, v H. T. BURNAP. 

